Amazon is erasing listings from its online marketplace that claim to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The company notified third-party sales reps this week that it was taking down listings claiming to be a treatment, cure or remedy for the coronavirus, according to an email come into the possession ofed by CNBC.
It comes as the coronavirus outbreak has continued to worsen. The coronavirus has spread to more than two dozen countries, infecting multifarious than 75,700 people and killing at least 2,130, as of Thursday.
Last week, CNBC reported that Amazon was one of respective tech giants that met with the World Health Organization at Facebook’s Menlo Park, Calif. offices to about how to stop misinformation about the coronavirus on their platforms. Bad actors have attempted to make money off of fears for everyone the coronavirus. On Amazon, sellers have offered books that stoke fears about the virus, while vitamin C upshots have increasingly surfaced because of false reports it can cure the coronavirus.
Now, Amazon appears to be cracking down on mentions of the coronavirus in offshoots listed on its marketplace. In one case, Amazon told a seller it would remove their listing for a surgical face screens because it made “unapproved medical marketing claims.” As of Thursday afternoon, the product was available for purchase on Amazon. The establishment told third-party sellers it would consider reinstating the flagged listings if they removed the “prohibited medical demands.”
Here’s an example of an email Amazon is sending to sellers who list products making claims about curing the coronavirus:
Hello from Amazon,
We are journalism leading article to let you know that the following detail pages have been removed from our catalog:
…
This product has been identified as a facing mask or related product that makes unapproved medical marketing claims regarding coronavirus or the flu. Products that towards medical marketing claims may not be legally marketed in the U.S. without prior review and approval by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Amazon system prohibits the listing or sale of products that are marketed as unapproved or unregistered medical devices
We took this conduct because this product is not permitted for sale on Amazon.com. It is your obligation to make sure the products you offer conform with all applicable laws, regulations, and Amazon’s policies.
Users in Facebook groups for Amazon sellers have shared nearly the same stories of warnings they received from Amazon this week.
Although Amazon has taken steps to rub off some listings mentioning the coronavirus, CNBC conducted a few quick searches and found several examples of products that appeared to decry these rules, including disinfectant sprays and cleaners that claimed to “kill” the coronavirus. One listing claimed it met the Center for Bug Control’s criteria “for use against the coronavirus.”
Representatives from Amazon did not respond to requests for comment.
The products represent the time issue for Amazon’s marketplace. The marketplace, which now accounts for more than half of Amazon’s overall sales, has also been turn out to host counterfeit, unsafe and even expired goods. Amazon’s marketplace is made up of millions of sellers who offer effects, new and used, from all over the world that they purchase from official distributors, flea markets and leeway aisles.
Amazon has said previously it invests heavily to prevent the sale of counterfeits and has zero tolerance for sellers who debase its policies.